


Bug in the Ring

by ghostlyhamburger



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wrestling, F/M, Lila salt, gabriel still sucks at parenting, wwe salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:48:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21584815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostlyhamburger/pseuds/ghostlyhamburger
Summary: When Adrien Agreste needs a new tag team partner, of course he turns to the headstrong and incredibly attractive luchadora Ladybug. But with his father keeping tight control over the Akuma Wrestling Federation, will the partnership last in and out of the ring? A professional wrestling AU.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	1. Tag Team

**Author's Note:**

> I've been excited to write this one for a while. My husband is an old school wrestling fan and our roommate is an active wrestler in the indies, so over the past few years I've grown to love this world. It's soap operas with punching, what's not to like? I'm not an expert on pro wrestling, but I'm doing my research for the fic.

“This is awesome!” _Clap clap clap-clap-clap!_

Juleka breathed hard as she rested for a brief moment on the ropes. Her opponent was running toward her, head down as she barreled closer. She connected, and Juleka cried out in pain, clutching her stomach as her opponent took the opportunity to kick her, push her past the ropes and onto the apron of the ring.

“Ready?” Kagami asked in a soft voice, making sure the audience couldn’t hear.

“Yeah, I got this!” Juleka replied.

The crowd roared as Ryuko Kagami somersaulted over her rival, the two-faced Reflekta Couffaine, and used the momentum of the jump to grab her and haul her off the apron, slamming Reflekta into the ground. As Reflekta tried to crawl away, Ryuko grabbed her arms, holding them behind her while pushing her down with a foot in her back.

The audience whooped and hollered as Ryuko held her opponent, who was screaming from the pain.

But then Juleka gave Kagami’s wrist a squeeze, signaling the end of the move.

Reflekta twisted her torso, making Ryuko lose her footing, and pulled her to the ground before scrambling on top of her to pin her. The referee counted to three, the bell rang, and the crowd went wild.

“The winner is…Reflekta Couffaine!”

Reflekta strode out of the arena triumphantly while the referee helped a limping Ryuko make her way backstage.

**

As soon as they were out of public eyes, Kagami exchanged a fist bump with the referee before walking to the locker room with absolutely no problem. She entered to the cheers of her fellow wrestlers, who were gathered around a small monitor where they’d been watching the match.

“You looked so good!” Rose, a small blonde girl congratulated her. “You made me actually worried!”

“Aw, you know she didn’t hit me that hard,” Juleka said, entering the locker room just behind her opponent. She gave Rose a kiss on the cheek before turning to Kagami. “You were great, though. Wouldn’t be surprised if you get that heel turn soon.”

“I hope so,” Kagami sighed as she sat on a bench. “I’ve been stuck as the good guy for way too long. And you’ve been stuck as the bad guy too long too!”

Juleka shrugged as she started to change out of her gear. “That’s what you get when your brother’s a snake, I guess.”

“But you don’t even fight with him!” Rose pointed out. “I want you to stop being evil so we can be on a team already!”

Juleka laughed and pulled her girlfriend into a close hug. “We’re a team out of the ring already, you know? Besides, tonight’s the start of intergender, so I might actually fight next to Luka at some point. Marinette, you’re doing one of those matches, right?”

Marinette, another wrestler, glanced away from the mirror, setting down her eyeliner. “Oh, yeah, but come on, it’s supposed to be a big secret! Besides, we’re not the _first_. That’s Mylene and the Bees.”

**

“Coming to the ring, Queen Bee and Worker Bee!”

Sabrina led the way to the ring, a bee-like lucha mask covering her head. Following her was her tag partner, Chloe, wearing the mask of Queen Bee as she rode on a sedan chair carried by four muscular men wearing her signature yellow and black colors.

Sabrina was happy to be Worker Bee. Chloe was her best friend in and out of the ring, and though she was treated like a lackey when they were on, their relationship was much more even in reality. Sometimes, Sabrina had even donned the Queen Bee mask to take the rougher bumps, putting herself at risk so that Queen Bee could miraculously recover from her injuries without a scratch!

She hopped into the ring, the yellow and black spandex she wore stretching over her skin as she raised her arms to the crowd’s cheers. Her outfit was just like Chloe’s, yellow with black stripes across her chest and hips, except with fewer sparkly embellishments around her neck and wrists.

“Presenting for the first time, the Harts!”

The music turned to screeching, rocking metal as Mylene, Monster Hart, made her way to the ring. She wore heavy makeup, turning her skin pink and her face ogreish. Her singlet looked like it was made out of rough-sewn leather, and her hair was ringed in dreadlocks, pulled into a ponytail. She growled at the audience, jumping at people who might be particularly scared of her.

Mylene was actually one of the sweetest girls on the roster, a vegetarian who championed for animal rights as well as the rights of her fellow man. Wearing the Monster Hart moniker let her release her aggression in a way that she knew was safe.

Her husband, Ivan, Stone Hart, entered behind her, to the roaring delight of the audience. His gear was simple gray shorts, the real spectacle being his looming physique. He’d been wrestling since he was a teenager, and he was the one who brought Mylene to the ring. He wore a scowl on his face as he stalked down the ramp, but inside he was happy, more than ready to be wrestling alongside his wife for the first time.

**

Backstage, Marinette watched the match unfold, holding her own mask in her hands. The stitching had gotten loose when Juleka had pulled it a bit too hard in the last match, so she needed to make sure it was secure before going back to the ring. She’d gotten skilled at repairing her own gear over the year, so it only took a few stitches with some strong thread to bring her mask back up to par.

“Ready for tonight, Bugaboo?” a voice came from behind her.

She turned to see her new tag partner, the infamous Chat Noir, leaning on the doorframe of the viewing room. Also known as Adrien Agreste, he was the son of the owner of AWF, Akuma Wrestling Federation. That meant being nice to him was important for any wrestler who wanted to see more than preshows and dark matches.

Luckily, Adrien was actually very friendly and easy to get along with, unlike his father. He’d been the one to choose Marinette as his partner, and she wasn’t inclined to turn him down.

“I think I’m good,” she said, tying a knot in the thread to finish the stitch. “Mask’s repaired, don’t want Alya accidentally tearing _that_ off.”

“Yeah, no,” Adrien agreed. He took a seat on the bench beside her and said, “So, I think we should do the catch and toss.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You think you can handle that?” When they’d rehearsed the move, Adrien had dropped her, letting her fall flat on the ground. There was tons of padding there, just in case that exact scenario happened, so luckily she wasn’t hurt.

He nodded. “I know I can. I practiced it a little more with Chloe—and she’s fine, see?”

On the monitor, Queen Bee did a backflip from the top of the turnbuckle, easily landing on Monster Hart for a pin before Stone Hart grabbed her ankle, pulling her away.

“Fair,” Marinette said. “But you’ve got to _promise_ not to drop me, okay?”

“I swear,” he said with a grin. He would _never_ let her know that he’d only dropped her because the move required his hands to be _very_ intimate with her to support her, and he’d lost focus when they practiced because of a sudden distracting erection.

Adrien had been head over heels for Marinette since her first saw her in the ring as Ladybug, saw her perform some truly amazing flips with grace and ease. He’d started hanging out with her, got to know her as Marinette, and they’d become fast friends. He didn’t have many real friends—most of the company had ulterior motives when dealing with the owner’s son—so he choked back his crush, determined not to lose her for _any_ reason.

**

Monster Hart distracted Queen Bee, letting Stone Hart pin Worker Bee and win the match without much struggle. The Harts accepted their belts and triumphantly left the ring.

Backstage, Ivan swept his wife up in a giddy hug and kissed her, to the cheers of their coworkers.

“Great job, guys!” Sabrina congratulated them as she pulled off her mask. “Ivan, can we work on that pin if we go up again? You pulled my shoulder kind of weird.”

“Shit, sorry,” he apologized with a sheepish grin. “You know I didn’t mean to.”

Nearby, the next two wrestlers were trading insults with each other. This was Kim’s pre-match ritual, a way to focus his mind and pretend he _hated_ his opponent—even though Marc was dating his bro Nathaniel, and he really couldn’t hate that kid.

“You look like a girl!” Kim jeered.

Marc couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s because sometimes I am!”

“Aw, come on,” Kim replied. “Insult me already! You’re too nice to hate!”

Marc tilted his head in confusion. “…was that one supposed to be insulting?”

**

They figured it out, though, and when Dark Angel faced Reversion in the ring, he was able to give a good match before ultimately winning.

**

“Good luck out there,” Adrien said to Marinette as they stood backstage. “I promise I’ll catch you.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she replied, fixing her mask over her face. Her black-lined eyes popped behind the red and black spotted mask, and her hair was pulled through two holes on the sides into twin tails. “Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to be the dream team here, right?”

“Right,” he replied with a grin. The two exchanged a friendly fist bump before Ladybug made her entrance.

She strode down the ramp, raising her arms in triumph as the crowd cheered. Her gear was simple besides the mask, a cropped tank top and shorts bearing her signature red with black spots. Wearing the mask let her _become_ Ladybug, a fan favorite who could take on any challenger.

This time, her challenger was her friend Alya, also known as her rival Rena Rouge. Rena was already at the ring, leaning against the ropes as she smirked at Ladybug. Her outfit was a one-piece bodysuit, orange and white with sheer panels along the sides of her legs and covering her arms.

As soon as the bell rang, the girls charged towards each other, locking their arms in a fierce grapple. Rena wrapped an arm around Ladybug’s waist, picking her up with the intent to slam her down against the mat. Ladybug was quicker, though, spinning from her hold to land on top, pulling Rena’s arm into a submission.

They fought, each girl pulling out her signature move, but the match seemed to be reaching a stalemate. Suddenly, the crowd cheered, and Marinette saw a flash of black moving out of the corner of her eye, the bit of peripheral vision she could see before the mask blocked it.

“Ready?” Alya murmured. Marinette gave a barely perceptible nod.

Rena hauled Ladybug to the ropes, setting her on top of the turnbuckle before pushing her backwards, sending her falling.

As the audience gasped, Ladybug cried out and flailed, only to be caught by strong arms clad in black faux leather. Chat Noir had arrived to catch her, much to the delight of the crowd.

He wore a black suit, covering him from head to toe. A belt was wrapped around his waist like a tail, though he did sometimes use it as a weapon. He was a fan favorite, the face of the company, and the audience was going _wild_ at seeing him interfere with this match.

Ladybug shifted in his arms, and he positioned his hands at her back and her butt, trying very hard not to think about the placement. If he fucked this up, he’d hurt his friend.

He heaved his arms, and Ladybug was launched back into the ring, landing a punch on Rena. A moment later, she had her rival pinned, and the referee counted, ending the match.

Chat Noir joined Ladybug in the ring as she grabbed a microphone. “Chat, you really saved my butt there!” she crowed, pausing so the audience can cheer. “I know we’re friends, but what made you come out to help me?”

The referee handed him a second mic. “Well, Ladybug, since we’ve been friends for so long, I have an important question to ask you.” He got down on one knee as Ladybug put her hand over her heart, feigning shock. A very real blush pinked her cheeks, but luckily no one was able to see that.

“My Lady, will you be my tag team partner?” he asked. The crowd roared in response.

She grinned and took his hands in hers. “Chat Noir, I can’t think of a bigger honor. And what better way to celebrate our partnership than heading straight for the top!”

“That’s right,” he said as he stood up. “Stone Hart, Monster Hart, next week, we’re coming for you!”

**

Backstage, Marinette gave Adrien a tight hug, and he tried to think about anything that was not her chest pressed against his. He _had_ to get it together if they were going to be partners.

“We should celebrate for real, that went _so_ well,” she said. “Alya and I were going to hang out at a new nightclub tomorrow night. Do you want to come along?”

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “Should I bring Nino?”

“Absolutely!” she replied. “Bring anyone you want, it’ll be a good time!”

She hugged him tight again before heading off to the locker room. He gazed after her with a small smile on his face. He could definitely handle this. Marinette was one of his best friends, and being partners would only make that stronger, right?


	2. Kayfabe

“Okay, hold on, I’ve gotta get a picture of you.”

Alya held up her phone as Adrien arrived back at their table, two drinks in his hands. “Um, okay?” he replied. “Should I set these down first?”

“No, you’re fine, just don’t look at me,” she replied.

So he looked away, giving a glance to his best friend Nino. “She always like this?”

Nino, who went by Carapace in the ring, nodded. He was often Adrien’s connection to the rest of the wrestlers on the roster, since he got along with anyone and didn’t care what Gabriel ever had to say about him. He was one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in the country—the company couldn’t afford to replace him.

“Yeah, she’s always on top of her social media,” he said, glancing at Alya. “Probably talking about how unfair it was that you interrupted her match.”

Adrien nodded. “She has to keep that up _all_ the time?”

“Yeah, dude,” Nino replied. “You’re lucky you’re a babyface, you’re just so good all the time there is no kayfabe anymore.”

“What about you?”

“I got a mask,” he said with a grin. “No one recognizes me unless I want them to. Y’know, like Marinette.”

“What about me?” a new voice asked. Adrien turned to see Marinette standing behind him, and he almost dropped the drinks he was holding.

She wore tight black pants, so tight he could see every curve of her legs. Her top was little more than a few scraps of red fabric, hugging her breasts but leaving plenty of open space and skin between them, the expanse only broken by strings holding the sides of the shirt together. Her lips were cherry red, and her hair was tied into two messy buns sitting adorably on the top of her head.

“I, uh—this is for you!” Adrien said, holding out one of the drinks, a fruity concoction Alya had sworn was her favorite. Marinette smiled as she accepted the drink, plucking the cherry that rested on top and placing it in her mouth before licking her lips.

She was going to kill him. She’d invited him out so that he could die.

Luckily, he managed to relax as the group chatted and drank, and the music pulsed around them. He was already close with Marinette and Nino, but he was enjoying getting to know Alya, who seemed to have an opinion on everything and would not be quieted about it.

“Oh, I love this song!” Marinette said excitedly at one point. “Alya, come dance with me!”

She grabbed the other girl by the wrist and led her out to the dance floor, getting lost in the crowd as they swayed and shimmied to the beat.

Adrien watched Marinette, his mouth dry as she shook her hips and moved her arms, her breasts bouncing slightly with each movement.

“Dude, you’ve got it bad for her, don’t you?” Nino asked in a teasing voice.

“Oh, like you haven’t been drooling over Alya all night,” he shot back.

“True,” Nino said. “But, my friend, _I_ am a normal human being who can ask out a girl he likes without making a big deal out of it. You apparently failed ‘being a human 101’ back in school.”

Adrien sighed. “I’d love to ask her out, but—her job depends on my father. What if she only goes out with me to make _him_ happy? I’d never really know how she feels.” He took a long sip of his drink before adding, “At least when we’re friends I know where I stand.”

Alya came stumbling back to the table, fanning herself. “Damn, that girl is insatiable! I’m tagging out, someone else go dance with her.”

She held out her hand, and Adrien gave it a light slap, the signal for tagging in. He headed out to the dance floor where Marinette was alone.

“She’s going to eat him alive, isn’t she?” Nino commented.

Alya laughed. “Probably. But, now that I’ve got you alone…”

**

When Adrien found Marinette on the dance floor, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him close to her, seemingly unaware that her height and their closeness gave her a perfect view down her shirt. He tried to keep his eyes in a safe zone, looking at her face, but the smile she wore was so downright sinful he actually felt less lecherous staring at her breasts.

She danced close to him, and he awkwardly rocked from side to side with the beat, unable to keep up with her moves.

“You’re only graceful in the ring, aren’t you?” she teased, playfully pressing her finger against the tip of his nose. “Come on. Hold onto me, I’ll guide you.”

She turned so her back was to him, and grabbed his hands to place them on her waist. His fingers brushed against bare skin, and he was sure his face was bright red.

Still, he held onto her as she rocked her hips, grinding her rear against him as she danced. One of her arms raised up, resting on his body, her fingertips against his cheek.

Marinette pressed herself against him with more force than she needed to, and turned to gaze at him. “Is this why you fucked up the catch, pretty boy?” she asked, her hand fleetingly brushing over his crotch, finger grazing his erection.

“I—sorry,” he said, swallowing hard.

“Don’t be sorry,” she murmured, walking her fingertips up his chest. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him so his head bent down beside her face. “Just follow through next time, clumsy kitty,” she said into his ear, before daring to _bite_ his earlobe.

And then she walked away, leaving Adrien a flushing mess who still couldn’t dance.

**

Marinette went home that night alone and frustrated.

Adrien hadn’t gotten any of the hints she dropped for him, not even the ones that were less ‘hints’ and more ‘giant glaring signs’. Maybe he wasn’t that into her after all?

Oh god she’d touched him. She’d rubbed herself all over him and touched his crotch and _bit_ him! What was she thinking?

She fell asleep thinking that she was going to be fired in the morning.

But then, she woke up to an email from Adrien, a polite one asking her to meet him at his home gym to work on some moves together. So, not fired, probably. He gave her the address and a meeting time.

She pulled on some gym clothes and left her apartment, taking the metro to the Agreste house. It wasn’t that surprising he had a home gym—rumor was that Gabriel had Adrien in wrestling camps and training since he was a teenager. Even in his late 20s and a celebrity in his own right, Adrien lived with his father, who still apparently paid for everything.

Really, Marinette felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine what it was like having family as your boss.

She rang the bell outside the gate surrounding his large house, and waited for it to be opened for her before heading inside. Adrien met her at the front door with a smile on his face.

“Good morning,” he said to her. “How are you doing, after last night?” He led her through the house as they talked.

“Um, fine?” Marinette responded, arching an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Oh, I was a little hung over this morning,” he admitted. “Thought you might be too.”

“Oh! No, thanks, I’m fine,” she said. “I knew I’d be up early this morning for some reason or another, so I didn’t actually drink that much.”

“Oh,” he said quietly. He opened a door, revealing a large indoor gym area, with free weights scattered around and even a wrestling ring set up in the middle of the room.

As Marinette stepped inside and gaped at the elaborate setup, Adrien had to re-evaluate his thoughts. He’d assured himself that she was drunk the night before, that’s why her attitude towards him had become suddenly flirty. But if she wasn’t…

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Marinette was on the floor already, stretching in preparation for the workout they were going to do.

“Can you help me with my hamstrings?” she asked, pulling one leg up towards her head. It was just a stretch, something that he’d helped dozens of people with. He didn’t have a second thought as he kneeled beside her, pressing into her leg.

He realized belatedly what position this put the two of them in, him looming over her, her legs spread as if inviting him, that damned smirk on her face…

“You know, we’ll be a terrible team if you keep getting distracted by me,” she said. “We should fix that.”

“And how do you suggest doing that?” he asked, pressing her leg back just a bit harder. She let out a soft gasp, and he swallowed hard.

“You’ve gotta learn to get comfortable with me,” she replied, switching legs. “Don’t hold back today, okay?” She propped her torso up, closing the distance between them, and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

“Okay,” Adrien replied, his voice thick. Don’t hold back? How was he supposed to do that?

Marinette abruptly stood, stretching her arms over her head. “I think I’m good. Let’s go!” She walked to the ring and easily hopped inside, sliding between the ropes in a practiced motion.

After Adrien finished some stretches of his own, he grabbed a practice dummy from a nearby closet and hauled it into the ring. “Anything in particular you want to try?”

“I’ve always wanted to do a superplex off someone’s shoulders,” she replied. “You’re tall enough, I can do flips—let’s try it.”

They gave it a few shots, Marinette flipping off of Adrien’s shoulders and grabbing the dummy on her way down. Just when she started to think they had the move down, he stumbled with her, pulling her down to the mat hard.

“What the hell, Agreste?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his face flushing red. “I just—”

“You got distracted again, didn’t you?” she asked, half annoyed, half amused.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Maybe—we should just wait and talk about what spots we’re doing later.”

Marinette stood up, shooting Adrien an obvious glare. “Yeah. Fine. We can work it out in the ring, just—don’t drop me again, okay?”

“I’ll figure it out,” he promised. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Her expression softened, and she stepped towards him to wrap her arms around him in a hug. “I know you will,” she said softly. “You’re my friend, Adrien. I trust you.”

He returned the embrace, though he angled the lower half of his body away from her. “Thanks, Marinette. I’ll get this right.”

**

Marinette didn’t see Adrien again until the next event. She spent her time training with Mylene and Ivan, getting used to throwing around someone of Ivan’s size.

She also spent a lot of time complaining to Alya, who’d had much better luck at that nightclub. She’d spent days with Nino, their relationship forming apparently easily.

“I threw myself at him, _literally_ , and he still won’t get the hint!” Marinette complained as she got ready backstage.

“Or maybe he’s turning you down politely?” Alya replied. She wasn’t on for the night, but she came to support her friend and boyfriend in their respective matches. “M, if he’s not getting the hint, maybe you need to stop.”

Marinette sighed. “Yeah. You’re right. I should trust him because he’s my friend and my partner and if nothing more comes out of this, then that’s just how it is.”

“Uh-huh,” Alya replied. Her attention was drawn by a video monitor in the locker room, showing the ongoing match.

Marinette rolled her eyes and lightly slapped her friend. “Go watch your boyfriend.”

**

In the ring, Carapace faced off against the Illustrator, a wrestler with an artist gimmick. He wore a green singlet with a green mask covering his head, a typical lucha-style mask that kept his face totally hidden from the crowd.

His opponent, Illustrator, wore black shorts and a black domino mask over his eyes. He’d come out with a painter’s smock and a brush and palette in hand, but had to toss those aside before the actual match began. However, as Carapace caught him in a boston crab, Illustrator reached to the side of the ring to grab his palette, using it to hit the turtle-themed wrestler and break loose of the hold.

“Looks like Nath’s going heel,” Alya commented backstage.

“Yeah, let’s see how long that lasts,” Marinette replied, rolling her eyes. The man behind the Illustrator, Nathaniel, was unfortunately often overlooked by the writing team, to the point where for him to get a single match was rare.

Of course, this one was just for the pre-show, but it was still a step up.

“Shit!” a cry came from across the locker room. “Hey, Mari, are you in here and can you help?”

Marinette finished adjusting her crop top and sighed before shouting back, “One sec!” She glanced back to Alya and asked, “Tell Nino he did good for me, all right?”

Alya nodded, still not really paying attention.

In the ring, Illustrator had broken his palette over Carapace’s head, stunning him, and had him down for a pin.

“One—two—” the ref counted, before Carapace kicked out. The referee held up a hand with two fingers showing, confirming that no pin was yet made.

**

“What’s up?” Marinette asked, rounding the corner to find Alix holding a broken mask in her hands.

“I’m on soon and the goddamn ear fell off my mask again!” she cried, thrusting the pieces towards Marinette. “Please, please fix it for me?”

She grabbed the mask and sat down on the bench, examining the rip. “Yeah, I can fix this. You really should consider changing the mask design, though. I can only do so much.”

“Yeah, yeah, you say that every time,” Alix grumbled. “But thank you! You’re a lifesaver!”

**

After Carapace made Illustrator tap out, winning the match, the two men cleared the ring for the next match.

“Introducing…Reflekta!”

Juleka sauntered towards the ring, her arms raised above her head as the crowd cheered for her.

“And her opponent…Princess Rose!”

Rose _raced_ towards the ring, her energy too much for her small stature. Her outfit, like Reflekta’s, was pink, but a softer shade, with feminine ruffles around her shoulders and waist. From far away, it looked somewhat like a princess’s dress.

Despite her soft look, Rose was one of the fiercest wrestlers on the roster, making her very much a fan favorite. Once the bell rang, she ran towards Reflekta, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her to the ropes. Rose climbed up to the second rope before jumping off, landing hard on the ground, her hand still in Reflekta’s hair, so her opponent was smashed face-first into the mat.

Later, backstage, Rose would cry and apologize for hurting her girlfriend, but regular Rose was gone, replaced with a fierce warrior Princess Rose.

**

“Okay, got it,” Marinette said, holding up the finished mask for Alix.

“Thank you!” the pink-haired wrestler replied before grabbing the mask and running out of the locker room. “I so owe you one!”

Marinette just sighed, glancing at a clock on the wall. She really had to finish getting ready if she was going to talk to Adrien and work out _any_ spots before their match.

**

Bunnix entered the ring with the bunny ears on her mask standing proud, thanks to Marinette’s quick stitching. Her pink hair was hidden beneath the mask, but the sleeveless blue and white bodysuit she wore let the tattoos on her arms show.

“Queen Bee!” she called into the mic, following the rehearsed script for this ‘unscripted’ match. “I’m calling you out! You’re not the top dog around here—even a _bunny_ can beat you!”

The lights dimmed, and Worker Bee marched out from backstage, stopping at the top of the ramp. “You don’t deserve to face the Queen!” she cried into her own microphone. She dropped the mic and charged towards the ring, leaping in and knocking over Bunnix as a bell rang.

**

“Hey,” Marinette greeted Adrien backstage in the waiting area. He was watching Bunnix fight Worker Bee on the monitor, but he turned his head to see his partner, already masked as Ladybug.

“Hi,” he said with a grin. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” she replied. She sat down on the bench beside him, glancing at the monitor. “So, um—I want to apologize, before we go on.”

“Why?” he asked.

“I—I’ve been acting weird, I guess, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” she replied, twisting her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re fine,” he said, smiling at her. “Trust me, you haven’t made me uncomfortable at all.”

Her lips quirked into a smile as she turned her head to look directly at him. Her eyes stood out dazzling blue behind her mask and the heavy eyeliner that coated the visible parts of her skin. Her lips were cherry red, Ladybug red, and looking so soft.

He didn’t notice he was leaning closer as he said, “You know, I’m really glad that you’re my friend…and my partner…”

Her eyes darted to his lips, just for a second, and she didn’t pull away.

The door to the waiting area slammed open, and the two sprang apart, both blushing red—though, luckily, Ladybug’s mask hid most of it.

“Hello!” Mylene said cheerily. “Are you guys ready to win?”

Marinette laughed as she glanced at her friend. “Only you would be so excited about losing.”

“It’s really enough that we got the title at all,” Ivan said. He was holding his wife’s hand, the picture of an adorable couple despite the heavy face paint Mylene wore.

“If you say so,” Adrien said with a shrug. “So, we should talk spots.”

**

The match went smoothly. Chat Noir and Ladybug were the perfect team, tagging in and out with just enough frequency to keep their opponents on their toes. When Monster Hart interfered with a pin, Chat tagged in Ladybug and chased the painted wrestler around the ring, leaving Stone Hart free to focus on Ladybug.

He lunged for the smaller girl, grabbing her by the waist, but Ladybug countered, swinging her legs to lock around his neck. She threw her body weight around him, using the momentum to pull him down hard to the mat.

Ladybug scrambled to pin Stone Hart while he was down, and just like that, won the match and the tag team title.

The crowd _roared_ as Ladybug and Chat Noir raised their hands and their belts in victory. The feeling of the audience cheering for them was an intoxicating one, and it carried the two all the way out of the arena.

Backstage, still high on the win and the audience reaction, Adrien stopped hesitating.

He’d been holding Marinette’s hand as they walked off, so all it took was a simple tug to bring her close to him, and in one fluid motion he bent down and pressed his lips against hers. She was sweating, mask askew, hair mussed from the fight—but none of that mattered as she _kissed him back_ , wrapping her arms around him and holding him close, despite his own sweat undoubtedly pooling on his back.

She pulled back after a moment, giving him a wicked grin. “Going to stop being distracted now?” she teased.

“Not in the slightest,” he replied before kissing her again.


	3. Run-in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila enters the ring!

“We can’t let my father find out about this,” Adrien said. It was a bit hard to get the words out with Marinette straddling his lap, her lips on his neck.

They’d made it to Marinette’s apartment after the show, and headed straight for her bedroom, lips and hands all over each other. Clothes were shed, bodies pushed to the bed, and then Adrien just had to ruin the mood by bringing up his father.

“Don’t talk about Gabriel right now,” Marinette groaned, pushing him back on the mattress. “He’s the _last_ person I want to think about.”

“I—okay,” Adrien replied, easily giving in. “But we should—”

She cut him off with a rough kiss to his lips. “Fuck me now, talk later.”

So he pulled her back against the bed and let his hands roam over her body, touching her until she moaned and cried out his name. He held her tight, lips to lips, chest to chest, hips driving against each other in a steady rhythm that had them both sweating and panting as they climbed to the height of pleasure together.

Marinette rested her head on Adrien’s chest and wrapped her arms and legs around him. “I’m a bit of a cuddler,” she explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” he said, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “It’s rare I get to have anyone in my arms that I’m _not_ throwing to the ground.”

She giggled, and his heart felt lighter at the sound. “If you want to throw me around a bit, I’m not against that.”

“But, seriously, we _can’t_ let my father know,” he said, the smile falling from his face. “I’m not supposed to be dating anyone in the company.”

“Who said we’re dating?” she teased.

He blushed, and she let her eyes rake over him, watching the red bloom from his cheeks and spread across his whole face. “I—I mean, I–"

She cut him off with a light kiss to his lips. “Don’t worry. I like you, and I do want to try dating. You’re just adorable when you’re flustered.”

“This is how it’s going to be now, is it?” he asked. “You making fun of me just so you can laugh at me?”

“You love it,” she said with a smile, before kissing him again. “So, we’re dating. Gabriel can’t know. But we did kind of kiss in front of _everyone_ …”

Adrien sighed. “Not everyone, just people I trust, but--he could cut your contract for this. I don’t want to be the reason you lose your job. So—if you don’t want to do this, I understand.”

“Don’t even think about that.” She moved to kneel over him, staring him in the eye. “You’re stuck with me now, even if I have to hold you to make you stay.” She emphasized her point by moving her hands to his shoulders, a little bit of force keeping him down.

“Oh no, I’ve been pinned,” he said, smiling. “I guess I’m stuck with a beautiful girl now. My insanely sexy, funny, smart best friend is now my girlfriend, whatever will I do?”

“How about kiss me?” she suggested, leaning down to press her lips against his.

**

Adrien spent the night with Marinette, holding her close as they slept. With her, everything felt _right_.

But he woke up far too early when his phone started blaring Babymetal’s ‘Catch Me If You Can’, the song he’d chosen for his father’s ringtone. He knew his father hated the band, which was a big part of why he’d picked it.

“Yes?” he answered, stifling a yawn.

“You’re not at home,” Gabriel Agreste said, his voice as stiff as his attitude. “I am calling an important meeting. Where are you?”

“I—stayed at Nino’s,” Adrien replied. “I had a little too much to drink and felt it was safer to just stay with him.”

“All right,” his father relented. “Come to my office now.”

“I will,” he promised before hanging up.

Marinette was looking at him, one eye open. “Ev’rythingood?” she slurred sleepily.

“Yeah,” Adrien said. “I need to get going, though. Father’s calling a meeting.”

She sat up, stretching, letting the blanket fall away from her chest. “Mmkay. There’s some coffee in the kitchen if you want to grab some before you go.”

He stood from the bed, and then leaned back over to kiss Marinette one more time before he had to head out the door.

**

Gabriel’s office was attached to his house, the same mansion where Adrien lived. A separate wing had been converted into the headquarters of Akuma Wrestling Federation.

Adrien was met by Nathalie, Gabriel’s assistant and a former Akuma Queen—the title given to female wrestlers back when their job was to look pretty between the men’s fights. Adrien was glad Gabriel had changed his mind on how the girls were treated, but he knew it had come after backlash from the female fans, not any real desire to change.

“You’re late,” she said.

“He didn’t give me a time,” Adrien retorted, unable to keep the lace of annoyance out of his tone. “Came as fast as I could.”

Nathalie just shrugged, and opened the door to a conference room, where Gabriel was talking to an unfamiliar girl. She was about Adrien’s age, brown hair in loose ponytails framing her face.

“Ah, Adrien,” Gabriel said as he took a seat at the large table. “I’d like you to meet your new co-star.”

The girl turned and gave him a smile so wide it was slightly unnerving. “Lila Rossi. I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Nice to meet you,” Adrien said dully. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you wrestle before.”

“Oh, I’ve just come from Japan,” she said, giving a little giggle. “Not to brag, but I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me! I’m really popular over there.”

“Sure,” he replied, wracking his brain to think if he’d heard of anyone named Lila in Japan. “What was your ring name?”

“Kitsune,” she replied. “But I’m going to be going by Vixen Volpina now. Sounds a little sexier, don’t you think?”

“She’ll be debuting at the next match,” Gabriel said. “I’d like you two to get to know each other—she’ll be your tag partner in the future.”

“What about Marinette?”

“Marinette?”

“Ladybug,” Adrien said, remembering that his father almost never remembered the wrestlers’ real names. “You know, my _current_ partner? We work well together.”

Gabriel waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll write an injury for her, or have her go heel. You should know that tag teams change all the time.”

There was a lot more Adrien _wanted_ to say, but he wisely kept his mouth closed, biting his tongue.

“I’m so excited to be working with you!” Lila said. She leaned towards Adrien again, and the neckline of her shirt fell forward, showing him way too much of her chest. “I’d be happy to work with you one on one any time you feel like it…”

“Oh, on a personal note,” Gabriel said, “Mlle Rossi does not have lodging in Paris yet, so she will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. Do make her feel at home.”

“Of course,” Adrien said, trying not to let his reluctance show. “If you’ll excuse me, though—I can’t fall behind on training.”

Gabriel nodded, and Adrien left the room, glad for _any_ escape.

**

The rest of the week passed by in a bit of a blur. Each morning, Adrien left his home for some reason—working on new moves one day, a charity activity another day—and each evening he would be with Marinette, the best parts of his week being when he was holding her in his arms, kissing her as she smiled at him.

He barely saw Lila around the house, but he suspected that she’d been looking for him—things in his room seemed to move slightly when he was gone. He’d learned long ago that anything truly important needed to be kept out of the house entirely, so while it was a little creepy, it wasn’t a real problem.

But then Lila cornered him the night before their show.

“It’s sad we haven’t had much time to hang out,” she said, pouting at him, blocking his way in the hall. “How are we going to be good partners if we don’t get to know each other?”

“Do you trust me to not hurt you?” Adrien asked. “Really, that’s all we need. When we are a team, I’ll practice some moves with you.”

She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. “I’m hoping to be _more_ than just tag partners…think about it, okay?” She walked her fingers up his chest before lightly placing them against his lips, and then turned away with a giggle. “Good night, handsome!”

Adrien wiped off his mouth with the back of his hand before heading to his bedroom.

**

Lila was introduced to most of the company just hours before their show. Marinette greeted her cordially, and then immediately pulled out her phone to text Alya.

**Marinette:** _that’s the girl you’re tagged with? She’s so tiny_

**Alya:** _well so is Rose_

**Alya:** _but yeah that’s her_

**Alya:** _she seems ok? Kind of acts like she can do more than she really can but so does everyone really so whatever_

**Marinette:** _adrien’s been complaining too. Apparently she lives in his house?_

**Alya:** _poor guy_

Once everyone was allowed to leave to get ready, Marinette made a beeline for Adrien. “Ready for this?”

She laced her fingers with his, an intimate gesture that no one else saw.

“Definitely,” he said, smiling at her. “If you maybe want to go somewhere private, though, and go over some of those moves again…”

She laughed and tapped her finger against the tip of his nose. “Let’s get through the match first, clumsy kitty.”

“I am not clumsy,” he said, sticking his tongue out petulantly.

“Then don’t drop me this time,” she teased. “I’m going to go get dressed.”

**

“Nice to meet you,” Alix said to Lila as they waited backstage. Rena Rouge and Reflekta were in the ring, and the two were waiting for their cue to join the match. “I’m Bunnix here, so I’m your competition tonight.”

“Then, don’t talk to me,” Lila said, turning away from the girl in the bunny mask. “I have to stay in character.”

Alix raised an eyebrow, a confused expression Lila couldn’t see. “O-kay then.”

In the ring, Rena jumped and flipped into a shooting star press, pinning Reflekta easily. Alix took the cue to race out to the ring, jumping in and shoving Rena away just before the referee reached a three-count. The bell dinged as the referee called for disqualification.

The audience booed, but were drowned out when the opening strains of ‘She’s Kerosene’ played over the speakers, and spotlights centered on the entrance ramp. Lila entered as Vixen Volpina, dramatically striking a pose. Her outfit was red, short shorts with thigh-high socks, and a top that seemed to have more mesh than opaque fabric, only solid straps covering her chest. Of course, she was taped into the outfit so there would be no malfunctions, but that didn’t stop the pervier fans from hoping otherwise.

“Now, I’m new to the Akuma Wrestling Federation,” she said into a mic as she walked towards the ring. “But I’m already ashamed of what I’m seeing here! What happened to a fair match?”

She got into the ring and held a hand out to Rena, helping the other woman stand up. “Thanks,” Rena said with a nod.

“I don’t think it’s right that it’s two against one,” Vixen said. “How about the two of us foxy ladies team up together?”

Rena grinned and nodded, shaking hands with Vixen as they sealed their tag team position.

**

Backstage, Lila headed straight for the dressing room, not even stopping to talk to her new partner or anyone she’d shared the ring with.

“She’s…really serious about this, isn’t she?” Alix observed. “Good luck, Alya.”

“Thanks,” Alya said, rolling her eyes. “Maybe she’ll have an _original_ gimmick soon.”

“That was such a great match!” Rose ran to Juleka, giving her girlfriend a hug. “I’m so happy for all of you!”

“Thanks, Rose,” Alix said with a grin. “Good luck with Nino out there!”

“Oh, shit, that’s next?” Alya asked. “Juleka, want to hang back and watch with me?”

“Yeah, sounds fun,” Juleka replied with a grin.

**

Marinette received a text from Adrien as she laced up her boots.

**Adrien:** _meet me in front of your locker room before you do makeup_

She walked outside of the locker room, and found herself drawn into a deep, passionate kiss as Adrien stepped into her path and drew her into his arms.

“Adrien!” she hissed, though her face was flushed and a smile played on her lips.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I just needed to make sure I could get through the match without being distracted again. I’m just a clumsy kitty, after all.”

“Well, kitty better get going before we’re seen,” she said with a grin. “I’ll see you out there.”

He leaned forward, placing one more quick kiss against her lips, before heading back to the men’s locker room.

As Marinette started applying her eyeliner, Lila sidled up next to her, a too-wide grin on her face. “Were you talking to Adrien out there?”

She couldn’t help the flush in her cheeks, but kept her voice steady as she replied, “Yeah, we were just talking through this move we’ve been working on.”

“That’s so cute,” Lila cooed. “Working so hard even though it won’t matter in a few weeks.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked.

Lila just shrugged. “Oh, you know, Gabriel brought me on to be Adrien’s tag partner.”

“Oh.” She tried to keep her face neutral, knowing logically that it meant nothing who his partner was, but she couldn’t help her lips twitching into a grimace, just for a second.

Lila gasped. “Oh my god, do you _like_ him? I’m so sorry, but I’ve been staying at his place, and I think he’s really into _me_ now…you might as well just give up.”

Marinette’s expression twitched again, which Lila interpreted as upset.

“I’d still love to be your friend, though!” she chirped before heading to the exit of the locker room. “Let’s talk sometime!”

Once she was gone, Marinette finally let out the laugh she’d been holding. “New girl’s delusional,” she muttered to herself as she went to grab her mask.

**

“Introducing your Tag Team Champions…Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

Chat Noir walked out to the beats of their intro music, hoisting both tag team belts in one hand and holding up Ladybug in the other. She was perched in a sitting position on his bicep, though her weight was actually distributed between her hands on his shoulder and his hand. It was a show of strength, and one the audience loved.

She hopped down just before they entered the ring, and exchanged a fist bump before their disposition turned serious, ready to fight.

“And their opponents—Queen Bee and Worker Bee!”

The Bees entered to their music, a metal cover of ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’. Worker Bee raced to the ring while Queen Bee was carried in by an army of muscular men.

As Ladybug grappled with Queen Bee in the ring, Worker Bee did her best to interfere from the outside. Luckily, Chat Noir noticed and ran around to chokeslam her against the apron, effectively putting her out of commission for the match.

Chat’s antics distracted the referee long enough for Ladybug to pull Queen Bee into a submission, yanking one arm behind her back and twisting it in a way that looked a lot more painful than it was. She held the pose for longer than would normally be allowed, meaning that by the time the ref turned back around, Queen Bee was tapping, signifying her defeat.

“Your winners, and retaining champions, Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

They triumphantly waved to the audience before heading backstage, Ladybug stopping a few times to take some selfies with the kids in the crowd. Chat Noir shot a wink and finger guns at anyone who asked for him to pause.

“That’s _it!_ ” Queen Bee cried, grabbing a microphone. “You, my loyal Worker Bee, are _done!_ ”

The audience gasped.

“I’m going to go after the championship title _alone_ ,” Queen Bee continued. “ _Maybe_ if you continue to be a loyal subject, I’ll keep you around for a while, but for now, _stay out of my way!_ ”

Worker Bee ran off, sobbing crocodile tears, while Queen Bee was carried out by her muscular men once more.

**

Once Sabrina was backstage, she stopped crying, but still looked genuinely upset.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked. “You look pretty shook up.”

Sabrina hesitated, but nodded. “She didn’t—she didn’t tell me what she was going to say to break up the team. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t expect her to blame it all on me…I’m just worried about what the fans are going to say.”

Marinette wrapped her in-ring rival in a hug. “Don’t worry about them. Chloe’s your friend, and if people start taking this too seriously, you know she won’t hesitate to bitch right back at them.”

“Yeah, thanks,” she replied with a smile. “I just—sometimes it gets to me, you know? I can’t separate Worker Bee from _me._ How do you do it?”

Marinette just shrugged. “It’s just easier for me because of the mask. It’s like I’m putting on a different person when I wear it, so when people are rude to Ladybug, it’s not me. I don’t know how to explain it better, though.”

“That does help a little.”

Chloe came backstage and nodded at Sabrina. “Hey, let’s talk about the next promo.”

She perked up immediately. “Okay, Chloe!”

Marinette breathed a sigh before pulling her mask off her face, intending to go back to the locker room and wash her face free of sweat and makeup.

She didn’t hear the shutter sound of a camera app going off behind her, catching a glimpse of her unmasked face. She was blissfully unaware of someone typing, sending that picture out into the world.


	4. Heel Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not taking this fic off hiatus just yet, but I was inspired to do a little more for it!

Marinette woke up happy. A gentle beam of sunlight streamed through the window, the city noise was just a soft hum slowly rousing her for the day, and Adrien’s arm was draped across her, holding her tight as he slept.

She let her eyes flutter shut again, resting her head on his chest so she could get a few more moments of sleep. But that moment was short-lived as her phone suddenly buzzed on the nightstand. And buzzed again.

And again.

Marinette groaned and reached for her phone. Her eyes widened when she saw her notifications— _78 new messages_.

When Adrien awoke, it was less gentle, to the sound of Marinette’s choked gasps as she tried to hold back tears. “What is it?” he asked, instantly concerned.

She passed her phone over to him, and he read the headline of a news article: ‘Ladybug Unmasked: See The Woman Behind AWF’s Top Tag Team!’ The article was accompanied by a censored picture, but when he tapped it, the image became clear. Marinette stood in her gear, her mask off her face. It was just a sliver of the side of her face, but it was still more than she _ever_ showed.

“That-that’s backstage,” Marinette gasped. “Someone in the company did this. It’s gone viral already. Wrestling News, Wrestling Inc, Ringside News—they’ve all got the picture.”

“Shit,” Adrien muttered. “I’ll talk to my father—if we can figure out who took this, they’ll definitely be fired. This is…who the _fuck_ would do this?”

“At least it’s not my full face,” Marinette mumbled, leaning back against Adrien, accepting his embrace as he passed the phone back to her. “Still, it’s—do I have to give up being Ladybug now?”

“No,” he assured her, gently kissing her temple. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. This isn’t you losing your mask during a match, this is someone violating your privacy. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Marinette was silent for a while, just listening to Adrien’s breathing, feeling his heartbeat. Then she finally said, “I tried out a lot of gimmicks in the indies. Lady Justice, Multimouse, this weird fashion designer gimmick I never named…Ladybug is the only one that’s ever felt _right_. Ladybug is really _me_.”

“And Ladybug is Chat Noir’s partner,” Adrien said, hugging Marinette again. “There’s no way I’m going to give you up, don’t worry. You’re _mine_.”

“Why are you so good to me?” she asked, her voice barely more than a mumble.

_Because I love you_ , the words came unbidden to his mind. He bit them back, just murmuring, “Because you’re you.”

**

Gabriel was upset about the leak, but not for the reasons Adrien had expected. The only thing the senior Agreste hated more than bad publicity was publicity he couldn’t control.

He called a meeting for the entire company, gathering everyone in the arena on an off day so an HR representative could remind all the wrestlers and backstage workers about appropriate behavior and maintaining kayfabe.

The normally masked wrestlers sat together throughout the presentation. Chloe had fully dropped the attitude for once, assuring Marinette that whoever had taken the picture was just an idiot, and wasn’t someone they could trust in or out of the ring.

“If I find who leaked that photo, they’re dead,” Nino promised. “I don’t care if I commit a murder in the ring. That’s just _not okay_.”

“Speaking of not okay,” Alix said, “what do you guys think about Lila?”

Marinette shrugged. “She seems nice enough, if a little sure of herself. I’m fighting her this week, apparently.”

“Oof,” Alix said with a wince. “Be careful.”

“What do you mean?”

The girl shrugged. “I don’t want to accuse her of anything, but—no one we know would have taken the picture of you. And she’s the only newcomer.”

Marinette shook her head, though she bit her lip. “God, I hope you’re wrong.”

**

Late that night, Adrien sent Marinette a link to a Reddit thread. ‘Why I won’t look at Ladybug unmasked and you shouldn’t either.’

The poster detailed the importance of the mask in lucha culture, and how much of a betrayal of trust the picture was. They pledged not to look at the picture, because not only would it be offensive to Marinette, it would ruin any future storylines. Simple curiosity wasn’t worth that.

Hundreds of people agreed.

Marinette managed to sleep well.

**

“Does Lila seem weird to you?” Marinette asked Alya. The show was the next day, so they decided to grab lunch together before finalizing their spots for their match. As soon as they were out of the arena, Marinette asked the question that had been burning in her mind.

“Weird how?” Alya asked.

Marinette shrugged. “Alix has this theory that she’s the one who took that picture. I don’t know if it’s true, but she is the newbie.”

Alya nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair. But I don’t think she did it. She’s been nothing but nice to me, so…”

“Well, if anyone would know, it’s you,” Marinette said. “If you say she didn’t do it—I trust you. Besides, right now I _have_ to trust her or tomorrow’s going to go really badly.”

**

Ryuko Kagami and Princess Rose were the first match. Before either of them went to the ring, Rose was in tears.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked her, noticing her crying in the locker room.

“I’m supposed to say some really awful things about Kagami during the match,” Rose said. “And I don’t want to do it!”

“I’m sure she knows it’s just for show,” Marinette reassured her. “We all say things we don’t mean.”

“Yeah, but this is worse,” Rose said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “It’s kind of racist.”

Marinette frowned and sat on the bench beside her. “What are you supposed to say?”

“That she’s stupid and stuff like that—but I’m supposed to use a bad Chinese accent.”

“Kagami is _Japanese_ ,” Marinette said, too dumbfounded to point out any more problems with that. “I—who said you have to?”

“Nathalie,” Rose replied. “Said it was Gabriel’s idea.”

“Of course,” Marinette groaned. “Fucking racist old bastard—he probably really doesn’t know the difference between Japanese and Chinese! You know this year is the first time there’s ever even _been_ two Asian women on the roster? And I’m not sure he actually _knows_ I’m Asian.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Don’t use the accent,” she cautioned. “Just say whatever in _your_ voice. Also, you should probably warn Kagami.”

Rose nodded. “I wish I didn’t have to be so _mean_ to fight people. I just wanted to do cool flips and throws, not trash talk my friends!”

“I know, but people really like the trash talk,” Marinette said. “Also everyone thinks it’s cute as hell coming from you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Just ask Juleka.”

**

“It’s family versus family in the ring tonight…the Couffaine Siblings versus the husband and wife Harts!”

Stone Hart and Viper Couffaine put on a great show of strength, shoving each other to the ropes, pinning each other over and over again—but not long enough to reach a three-count.

While Reflekta Couffaine and Monster Hart stayed on the sidelines, waiting to be tagged in, they antagonized each other, culminating in Monster Hart pulling Reflekta’s hair, slamming her face into the edge of the ring.

Stone Hart tagged in his wife, who managed to pin the exhausted Viper in under a minute.

“The winners are…Stone and Monster Hart!”

**

“You’re nothing but a low class brawler.”

“You’re just an uppity bitch in a mask!”

“Oh my God, just kiss already,” Alix said, passing between Kim and Chloe in the backstage area. “This flirting is _painful_ for the rest of us.”

Chloe wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. “Ew.”

“Ditto,” Kim replied. “I think I hate you enough to lose to you now, though. You good on that armbar?”

“Take it easy on my left elbow, okay?” she asked as she stretched her arm.

“You got it,” he replied. “Bitch.”

“Asshole,” she shot back, grinning.

**

“Ready?” Marinette asked Adrien, holding out her hand to him before they headed to the ring.

He nodded, giving her a wide grin. “Always.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, your Tag Team Champions, Ladybug and Chat Noir! And their opponents—Rena Rouge and Vixen Volpina!”

The match was a fairly short one, every move executed flawlessly. Ladybug and Chat won, as expected, but things started going off the rails when Vixen grabbed the mic at the end of the match.

“You know, I’m starting to think my _partner_ here is holding me back,” she said, bending over slightly so the cameras got a better view of her chest. “We’ve worked well together, but, Rena Rouge—there’s only room for one fox here. I’m going to work my way up to fight _against_ you, Rena, and when I do—well, one of us will just have to leave, won’t she?”

Rena just gaped at her partner as the exit music played, signaling to the wrestlers it was time to head backstage.

**

In the locker room, Marinette approached Alya and asked, “Did you know?”

The fox-themed wrestler shook her head. “No idea. Is this—you think they’re going to really kick me or her out of the company?”

“No way,” Marinette replied. “Lila might be a…handful, but you’re one of the best wrestlers we’ve got here, there’s _no way_ we’re losing you.”

“I hope you’re right,” Alya mumbled in response. “Although sometimes I wonder if going indie wouldn’t be a bad thing. Not as much money, but a lot less bullshit, yeah?”

“You can’t leave,” Marinette said, hugging her. “I’ll miss you too much.”

“Chill, M, I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
